All Margaret J. Wheatley Quotes
When leaders take back power, when they act as heroes and saviors, they end up exhausted, overwhelmed, and deeply stressed.
Margaret J. Wheatley
50% of people like this quote
For me, this is a familiar image - people in the organization ready and willing to do good work, wanting to contribute their ideas, ready to take responsibility, and leaders holding them back, insisting that they wait for decisions or instructions.
Margaret J. Wheatley
50% of people like this quote
And time for reflection with colleagues is for me a lifesaver; it is not just a nice thing to do if you have the time. It is the only way you can survive.
Margaret J. Wheatley
50% of people like this quote
Aggression is inherently destructive of relationships. People and ideologies are pitted against each other, believing that in order to survive, they must destroy the opposition.
Margaret J. Wheatley
50% of people like this quote
For us, someone who is willing to step forward and help is much more courageous than someone who is merely fulfilling the role.
Margaret J. Wheatley
49% of people like this quote
Too many problem-solving sessions become battlegrounds where decisions are made based on power rather than intelligence.
Margaret J. Wheatley
48% of people like this quote
In virtually every organization, regardless of mission and function, people are frustrated by problems that seem unsolvable.
Margaret J. Wheatley
48% of people like this quote
Yet we act as if simple cause and effect is at work. We push to find the one simple reason things have gone wrong. We look for the one action, or the one person, that created this mess. As soon as we find someone to blame, we act as if we've solved the problem.
Margaret J. Wheatley
47% of people like this quote
I've wanted to see beyond the Western, mechanical view of the world and see what else might appear when the lens was changed.
Margaret J. Wheatley
47% of people like this quote
For eons, humans have struggled to find less destructive ways of living together.
Margaret J. Wheatley
47% of people like this quote
Determination, energy, and courage appear spontaneously when we care deeply about something. We take risks that are unimaginable in any other context.
Margaret J. Wheatley
47% of people like this quote
I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control.
Margaret J. Wheatley
46% of people like this quote
Even though worker capacity and motivation are destroyed when leaders choose power over productivity, it appears that bosses would rather be in control than have the organization work well.
Margaret J. Wheatley
46% of people like this quote
Circles create soothing space, where even reticent people can realize that their voice is welcome.
Margaret J. Wheatley
46% of people like this quote
Related authors